Explore Culture, History & Humanities Courses
Explore our extraordinary range of History, Culture and Writing courses and lectures. We offer both introductory and specialist in-depth courses to suit all levels of interest and experience, from ‘How to read a film’ and World literature, to Creative non-fiction writing courses and American history and Politics courses.
Our tutors are experts in their fields and experienced educators; many have published, teach in universities or share their expertise in the media. Tutors share their knowledge and passion through presentations, readings, interactive discussion and exercises, analysis, and other activities.
Many students return to take more courses, telling us they enjoy being part of our City Lit Learning community.
Our popular courses often sell out quickly, so we invite you to browse and book your place now.
- Great works: Henry James's The Portrait of a Lady
Course start date: Thu 23 Jan 2025Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Sophie OxenhamThis short literature course will explore Henry James’s novel ‘A Portrait of a Lady’ (1881). We will consider James’s narrative methods and concerns, and also engage with contextual and critical material to inform our reading.Full fee £79.00 Senior fee £63.00 Concession £51.00 - Partition in Palestine Course start date: Thu 30 Jan 2025
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Martin JorgensenPalestine has a long history. Join us in this short course to explore the most recent Palestinian history from the late Ottoman era through the British Mandate era and Al-Nakba to our own moment.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £79.00 Senior fee £79.00 Concession £51.00 - An introduction to European decorative arts at the V&A Course start date: Thu 1 May 2025
Location on this date: Off Site
Tutors: Andreas PetzoldThe Victoria and Albert Museum has one of the finest and most comprehensive collections of European decorative arts in the world. This course aims to provide an introduction to these rich collections. It will focus on the period 1500 to 1900, but references later developments. The main media will be explored including textiles, ceramics, glass, metalwork, and silver.Full fee £99.00 Senior fee £79.00 Concession £64.00 - Ealing Studios: projecting Britain and the British characterCourse start date: Thu 1 May 2025
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Graham Rinaldi“We made films at Ealing that were good, bad and indifferent, but they were indisputably British. They were rooted in the soil of the country.” Under the stewardship of Michael Balcon, Ealing Studios created a national cinema through drama, documentary and comedy producing a body of work portraying realistic British life.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £89.00 Senior fee £89.00 Concession £58.00 - Spectacles of the Ancient worldCourse start date: Thu 8 May 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Michael BloomfieldThis course explores some of the most elaborate and powerful displays of the Graeco-Roman world. Designed to entertain, inform, and elicit support, often at times of great political or religious significance, they were unforgettable, and have long exercised an influence on our own understanding of the nature of power.Full fee £99.00 Senior fee £79.00 Concession £64.00 - An introduction to stained glass at the V&ACourse start date: Thu 5 Jun 2025
Location on this date: Off Site
Tutors: Andreas PetzoldStained glass has been described as the most original and important medium in the high Middle Ages. The Victoria and Albert Museum has one of the finest and most comprehensive collections of stained glass in the world, spanning the twelfth century to the modern period. The course will provide an introduction to this medium and the collection of it in the Victoria and Albert Museum.Full fee £69.00 Senior fee £55.00 Concession £45.00
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